Work shifting mechanism for heelattaching machines



w. A. BARKER ET AL Oct. 19, 1948.

WORK SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR HEEL-ATTACHING' MACHINES Filed April 12, 1946 ,5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenzorzs' w Vi/[121m A.Bar/cer Thom as B. Clarke Oct. 19, 1948. w. A. BARKER ETAL 2,451,529

WORK SHIF'I'ING MECHANISM FOR HEEL-ATTACHING-MACHINES Filed April 12, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [270621 for: mlliam ABarker Oct. 19, 1948. w, A, A KE 7 ET AL 2,451,529

WORK SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR HEEL-ATTACHING MACHINES Filed April 12,,1946 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fg' Invenzors William A. Barker- Thomas B. C larke Oct. 19,1948. w. A. BARKER ETAL 2,451,529

WORK SHIF'TING MECHANISM FOR HEEL-ATTAGHING MACHINES Filed April 12, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 4 "q W Y In van for William A. Bar/(er Thomas 15. (7a rke t 1948- ,w. A. BARKER ETAL 2,451,529

wonx s'm'wme mmcmusm FOR HEEL-ATTACHING MACHINES Filed April 12, 1946 '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor's 31 WZZZiam Aba rker Thomas B. Cla. r/(e Patented Get. 19, 1948 UNITED STATS ZASLSZQ ATENT OFFICE VJGPJK SHKFTING MECHANISM FOR HEEL- ATTACHENG MACHKNES Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,816 in Great Eritain April 28, 1945 13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to machines for attaching heels to shoes, it being particularly concerned with apparatus of the character of that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,391,- 543, Carr and Clarke, December 25, 1945, in which a plurality of mechanisms are mounted upon a movable carrier for successive presentation at a support for a shoe to be heeled.

In such machines as that above mentioned, the movement of the carrier has heretofore been effected manually, and, after a time, the ei fort required may so fatigue the operator that it tends to diminish the output of the machine. An object of our invention is to produce the movement of the carrier under the power of the machine, thereby relieving the operator of the burden of its actuation. This object we attain. by the combination with a shoe-support, a movable carrier and its operating mechanisms, which may be a fastener-inserting mechanism and a heel-supporting mechanism for presentation at the shoe-support and means for actuating said members, of means acting under the power of the machine, as a spring compressed by such power,

for moving the carrier at the end of each operating cycle, the movement being in opposite directions following successive cycles. Since occasion may arise when it is desirable to move the carrier manually, means for accomplishing this is provided, this means being shiftable into and out of efi'ective position. In the normal operation of the machine, its power is applied through actuating means which prepares for action means for moving the carrier, and there is means acting after the release by the operator of a member which controls an operating cycle of the machine to render the moving means effective. The means by which the carrieris moved is preferably a spring, which is loaded, the stored force thereafter being applied to move the carrier under the control of the operator. The operator may temporarily be deprived of this control after the initiation of an operating cycle, so another complete treadle-operation is necessary to cause carrier-movement. To reduce the rate of movement of the carrier, so the shock at the end of its travel may be reduced and the danger of injury to the operator eliminated, there may he means for resisting the movement. This may consist of fluid means, as a cylinder and a plunger movable therein by the spring to compress the contained fluid, there being shown a contracted opening in the cylinder through which the plunger forces air or other fluid as it exerts its force upon the car-' rier. The size of the opening, and consequently chine.

the resistance to movement of the carrier, may be varied by a valve controlling the flow. A further resistance may be opposed to the carriermovement, this acting only as the carrier approaches the end of its travel, it being furnished by a brake applying friction to a rotatable member included in the connections through which the carrier is actuated and caused to engage a stationary abutment at the time the braking efiect is desired.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a left-hand side elevation, partly in section, of the lower part of the illustrative machine;

Fig. 2, a front elevation of the part of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a front elevation of a slightly modified construction for controlling a latch member of the illustrative machine;

Fig. 4, an enlarged section on the line IVIV in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, a sectional view of a valve shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6, a left-hand side elevation, partly in section, of a braking arrangement of the machine;

Fig. 7, asection on the line VII-VII in Fig. 6;

Fig- 8, a detail view of the modified means shown in Fig. 3, the operating parts of said means having moved to different positions from those shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9, a front elevation of the carrier, with the elements which it supports and their more closely associated elements and Fig. 10 is a side view of the illustrative machine.

The illustrative machine, except as hereinafter described, is similar in construction to the machine of the patent identified above, modified in some respects as disclosed in the application for Letters Patent of the United States filed on J anuary 16, 1945, in the names of Thomas B. Clarke and Arthur A. Rivington, and bearing the Serial No. 573,026. It has a shoe-support comprising a last-engaging abutment A and means B for positioning the shoe in proper location in the ma- The heel is carried by a heel support or heel-supporting device I which has associated with it heel-locating means 2 and there is a fastener-inserting mechanism 3, the heel-supporting and pressing mechanism and the fastener-inserting mechanism being mounted on a common carrier 5 slidable upon horizontal guide-rails 85, 81 between left-hand and right-hand positions. Moreover, the machine comprises a pricking mechanism C arranged to form holes in a heel supported on the device i and means D through which fasteners are supplied to the inserting mechanism. The arrangement in the illustrative machine is such that initially the carrier 5 occupies its left-hand position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 9, in which the heel-supporting mechanism i is under the pricking mechanism C and the fastener-inserting mechanism 3 is under the shoe-supporting device A, the fastener-inserting arrangement having previously been supplied rod 26 to the rear end of a lever 28 secured to a shaft 30 rotatably mounted in the machine frame. A spring 32, upper and lower ends of which are secured to the lever 28 and to the machine frame, respectively, constantly urges the treadle N33 to its raised idle position. As disclosed in said application Serial No. 573,026, the lever 28 is operatively connected to a pricker head 34, and the shaft 36 has secured to it a ratchet segment 36 through which a, plunger 3-8 carrying the last engaging abutment A and the shoe positioning means B, is actuated. When preliminary pressure has been applied against the work the machine upon initially depressing the treadle I03, further downward movement of the treadle causes counterclockwise movement (Fig. of the clutch lever with the result that a clutch is tripped to actuate the power operated driving mechanism, of which the clutch forms a part, through a cycle. power operated driving mechanism comprising the clutch causes the pricking mechanism C, actuated through a link l3, to prick the heel and the fastener-inserting arrangement, actuated by a 'reciprocatory plunger 6 to insert the nails in the heel-seat of the shoe, with portions of said nails projecting therefrom. Thereaften'the carrier '5 is moved into its right-hand position in which the heel-support l is brought under the shoe-support AB. This places the pricked heel under the shoe, with the nails in the shoe in register with the holes which have been pricked in the heel, and with the fastener-inserting mechanism 3 under the fastener-supplying means D so it receives another load of nails. The treadle M3 is then again depressed by the operator to initiate a second power-operation of the machine, in which movement of approach-takes place between the shoe-support and the heel support to cause the shoe and heel to be pressed together and firml attached to each other by the portions of the nails projecting from the shoe being forced into the pricked holes in the heel. The carrier 5 is finally moved back to its lefthand position in readiness for the operation on another shoe and heel. iments of the carrier '5 have been efiected by manual effort of the operator. In the illustrative machine, however, this duty is removed from the operator and the transfer of the carrier is effect- -edautomatica1ly by power means, thereby reducing the eifort required in operating the machine an'd tending to in'crease'the output. The mech- 'anism provided to effect this result will now be :xiescribed. i

When the clutch is tripped w I-Ieretofore the move.

A rocking arm 1 is fixed to a shaft 9 which is oscillated during each power-operation of the machine. This, similarly to what is disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,195,134, Gonlclbourn, August 15, 1916, causes power-descent of the shoe-support and its locking in lowered position. Further connections are provided to the arm I to effect the movement of the carrier 5. With this end in view, a pin H by which the arm 7 is pivoted to the link i3, is also connected, by a ball-joint, to the upper end of a downwardly extending telescopically-adjustable actuating link it. The lower end of the link 15 is connected by another ball-joint to the outer end of a short arm El free to turn on a short horizontal shaft 19 journaled in a bracket 2! secured to themachine-frame. Fixed to the shaft is adjacent to the arm 51 is a second short arm 23 and these two arms have interengaging lugs 25, 255. These lugs are so arranged that when in the power-operation of the machine the movement of the arm '5 turns the arm ll downwardly, the arm 23 is also moved downwardly, thereby turning the shaft i9. On the other hand, when the arm 1'? is thereafter moved upwardly by the arm 7 to its original position, said second arm 23 does not move but remains latched in its downward position, by means to be hereinafter described, until later released for upward "movement. The shaft is also has fixed to its inner end a, third arm 2? having a recess against which bears the rounded upper end of a plunger 29, projecting upwardly from a cylinder 3! support ed at its lower end b a ball-ended stud on the machine-frame. The lower end of the plunger 29 is secured to a piston 35 sliding in the cylinder 3i and is engaged by the upper end of a compression-spring 3'! seated upon a head secured in the lower .end of the cylinder and resting upon the stud 33. The upper end of the cylinder is closed by a, head ll in which the plunger '29 slides and in which is inserted a valve 53. When the shaft is is turned by the connections referred to as a result of downward power-movement of the arm '5, the plunger 23 is thus moved. downwardly compressing the spring 3?, and when this spring has been compressed the plunger 23 is latched against upward movement, as shown in Fig. 3. This is effected by the engagement of houlder 55 on a latch member 61, pivoted about a stud at on the bracket 2!, withthe face Q8 of a projection from the .arm 2'1. Thus, so long as the latch member t? in latching position the spring 3? is held compressed.

The projection" 5! on arm 27! (Fig. 3) has an outwardly extending arm 53 on which are formed gear-teeth 54, and these teeth mesh with a gearwheel 55 mounted to turn on a stub-shaft 51 rotatable in a bearing 59 on the bracket 2!. To the stub-shaft 5'! is fixed a'disk 5!. Secured to the gear-wheel 55 is a pawl-carrier to which is pivoted a pawl 65, and in the periphery of the disk are two diametrically opposed notches El, with one or the other of which the pawl 55 may engage under the influence of a light spring When the latch member l! is released, by means hereinafter described, the spring 31 is freed and, in expanding, causes, through the connections described, a turning movement of the shaft is and accordingly of the arm 53. This causes rotation of the gear-wheel 55, so the pawl 55 will engage one of the notches 6'! in the disk s: and rotate the disk andshaft 51 through half a revolution. 0n the other hand, during the previous movement of the parts, when the spring 31 was being compressed, the pawl 65 tracks idly over the inclined faces of the notches B1 and does not cause rotation of the disk.

The disk BI is provided with a crank-pin H to which is pivoted the lower end of an upwardly extending rod 13, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to a segment 15 (Fig. 2) pivoted on a horizontal stud 11 projecting from a bracket I9 secured on a second bracket 8| clamped to a post 83. The post 83 is arranged to provide support for the heel-support during the pricking of a heel and has secured to it the rails 85, 8? for the carrier these rails are also secured to the bracket 19. Teeth 89 formed on the segment l5 mesh with a gear-wheel 9i fixed to a shaft 93. Fast on the shaft 93 is an arm 91 joined by a link 95 to the adjacent end of the carrier 5. Thus, when the segment is turned, the shaft 93 is rotated and through the members 95, 91 the carrier 5 is caused to assume one or the other of its two operating positions. As hereinbefore indicated, the illustrative machine, in operating upon one shoe, performs two successive power-cycles and the arrangement is such that at the conclusion of the first power cycle the segment 15 is automatically moved in one direction, on release of the compression-spring 31, which has been previously loaded in that power cycle, to effect movement of the carrier for the heel-support l and the fastener-inserting mechanism 3 from its left-hand position to its righthand position. At the conclusion of the second power cycle the segment 15 is moved in the opposite direction, on release of the spring 31 which has been reloaded in that cycle, to move the carrier 5 from its right-hand position to its left-hand position. The carrier is not, of course, moved during the two operations of loading the compression spring 31, since, as already explained, the disk SI is not then rotated by the movement of the pawl 95. The segment 15 is moved in one direction at the conclusion of the first power-cycle of the machine and then in the opposite direction at the conclusion of the second power-cycle, because the crank-pin II which actuates the segment moves it in opposite directions in successive half-revolutions of the shaft 51 in its counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 3 and 8.

The latch member 41 is released by means of collar 99 (Fig. 2) on a rod II the upper end portion of which passes freely through a hole in the latch member and the lower end of which is pivoted by a ball-joint to the forward portion of the treaclle 59, which is depressed by the operator to initiate power-operation of the machine. The collar 99 is secured to the rod below the latch member, and when the operator depresses the treadle the rod It)! may move down without affecting the latch member. When, however, the treadle rises, the rod i9! is moved upwardly and when the collar 99 engages the latch mem ber, causes it to release the arm 21 and allows the spring 31 to expand and move the carrier 5. The release of the latch member 51 will take place at the conclusion of the power-cycle irrespective of whether the operator immediately takes his foot off the treadle I53, when the power-cycle is initiated, or waits until near the end of the cycle before doing so, because the treadle is not free to rise until said cycle is about to terminate.

To prevent the release of the spring 31 from causing undesirably rapid movement of the carrier 5,. the valve 43 is arranged to permit the escape from the cylinder of the compressed air or'other contained fluid above the piston 35 at a relatively slow rate, thereby resisting the expansion of the spring. The valve comprises a casing having therein a passage I05 (Fig. 5) leading from the cylinder, in which passage is a ball Hi1 prevented from falling by a pin I99 extending across the passage. In the upper portion of the casing is a second passage I I I, smaller in diameter than the passage I95, and lateral contracted passages H 3, H3 leading from the passage H I through the casing. Projecting into the passage III is the reduced lower end-portion of an adjustable screw H5 having thereon ,a lock-nut H1. When the piston is moved upwardly by the spring 31, the ball I91 is raised until it engages the reduced lower end-portion of the screw M5, by the air passing upwardly along the passage I05. The screw is so adjusted that when the ball is in engagement with it, passage of air. from the cylinder along the passage I05 into the passage I I! and through the passages H3 is restricted. The air thus escapes at a relatively slow rate and too rapid movement of the parts operated by the piston and plunger- 29 is prevented. When the piston is moved downwardly the ball I01 falls until it engages the pin Hi9, and a free passage is thus provided for air to enter the upper portion of the cylinder 35. 'Thecylinder has in it a small hole II9 to allow air to enter and leave the lower end portion of the cylinder below the piston 35.

As an additional precaution against the carried 5 being moved too rapidly, as it comes to the end of its stroke in each direction, a friction-brake is provided. This may take the form of a ring member (Figs. 6 and '7) made in two parts I25, I21, each part having a leather lining frictionally clamped around a collar I29 secured on the shaft 93. Each part I25, I21 of the ring member has a lug I3I or I33 which engages a fixed abutment in the form of a rib I35 on the bracket 19 as the carrier 5 approaches the limits of its travel. When either of the lugs engages the rib, the ring member is prevented from moving farther in that direction, and thus during each final portion of the movement-of the carrier, it is braked by the frictional resistance of the ring member to the turning movement of the collar I29 and shaft 93 which it surrounds. The amount of frictional resistance between the parts I25, I21 of the friction-brake and the collar I29 may be varied by relative adjustment of said parts by screws I39.

Means may also be provided to move the carrier 5 manually should this be desired. Such an occasion may arise if the machine has performed part only of its operation on a shoe and it is desired to start afresh on the same shoe. For this purpose there is secured to the right end of the crank pin 1!, as viewed in Fig. 1, an enlargement I31 (Figs. 1 and 4), upon the outer face of which are teeth I39 arranged about an axis coincident with the axis of the shaft 51. Arranged coaxially with the shaft 51 is a shaft MI having at its rear end a toothed enlargement I43 and at its forward end a handle I45. The shaft MI is journaled in a bracket I41 fixed to the post 83. Normally, the toothed member I43 is held out of engagement with the teeth I39 on the enlargement I31 of the shaft 51 by a relatively weak expansion spring I 49 (Fig. 4) surrounding the shaft I4I but this shaft may, when desired, be moved rearwardly by the operator to cause engagement of the teeth. Thereupon, turning the handle I45 will rotate the shaft 51 to cause the carrier to be moved.

The rod IOI connected to the treadle I03 may,

instead of having the collar 99 secured thereon, be provided on its left-hand side with a plate l5! (Figs. 3 and 8). This plate furnishes a shoulder which, when the treadle is'allowed to rise, en-

- gages the under side of a plate I53 on the latch member 41 and raises the latter to allow the loaded spring 31 to move the carrier 5. As the carrier is moved, a pin I55 on the arm 53 contacts with the side of therod II] I and moves the rod-shoulder from beneath the plate I53. This allows the latch member to be moved downwardly by a tension-spring I51 attached to it and to the rod Illl, so that it is in a position to prevent movement of the carrier if the spring 31 is loaded during a secnd and undesired cycle of the machine, which sometimes occurs. When the treadle is again depressed the rod i0! is moved to the left by the spring I51 and moves the plate I! on the rod l0! beneath the block 153 on the latch member 41. By this means the carrier cannot be caused to be moved until the treadle has been depressed and allowed to rise again.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-"support, a carrier movable between two positions, two operating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier and respectively cooperating with the shoe-support in the two positions of said carrier, means for moving the carrier to its'two positions, means re- 'sistin'g movement'of the carrier, and means arranged to vary the resistance.

2. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-support,

a carrier movable between two positions, two opcrating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier and respectively cooperating with the shoe-support in'the two positions of said carrier, means for movin the carrier to its two positions, and means resisting movement of the carrier only upon the approach of said carrier to the end of its travel.

3. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-support, a carrier movable between two positions, two operating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier and respectively cooperating with the shoe-support in the two positions of said carrier, a spring, means for loading the spring, and means for applying the force of the loaded spring to move the carrier.

4. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-support, a carrier movable between two positions, two

operating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier.

and respectively cooperating with the shoe-support in the two positions of the carrier, a spring, means'for loading the spring, means for applying the force of the loaded spring to movethe carrier, and'fiuid means for resisting the force of said spring.

5. In a heel-attaching machine, a. shoe support, a carrier movable between two positions, two operating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier and respectively cooperating with the :shoe support in the two positions of the carrier,

for applying the force of the loaded spring to move the carrier, a brake for the applying means, and means for making the brake effective only as the carrier approaches the end of its travel.

7. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-support, a carrier movable between two positions, two operating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier and respectively cooperating with the shoe-support in the two positions of said carrier, a spring, means for loading the spring, means for applying the force ofthe spring to move the carrier, a latch for retaining the spring in its loaded condition, and a member controlled by the operator to release the latch.

8. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-support, a carrier movable between two positions, fastener-inserting mechanism and a heel-support mounted upon the carrier and respectively cooperating with the shoe-support in the two positions of said carrier, a spring, means for loading the spring, means for applying the force of the spring to move the carrier, a latch for retaining the spring in its loaded condition, and amember controlled by the operator to release the latch, the member after such release moving out of its effective relation to the latch.

9. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-support, a carrier movable between two positions, two operating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier and respectively cooperating with the shoe-support in the two positions of said carrier, actuating means movable under the power of the machine, an arm turned by the actuating means, a spring compressed by the movement of the arm, a latch for holding the arm with the s ring under compression, a member controllce. by the operator to free the arm from the latch and allow the spring to expand to turn the arm oppositely to its movement by the actuating means, and means for transmitting the movement of the arm by the spring to the carrier.

10. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-support, a carrier movable between two positions, two operating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier and respectively cooperating with the shoesupport in the two positions of said carrier, actuating means movable under the power of I the machine, a cylinder, a spring within the cylinder, a plunger in the cylinder movable by the actuating means to compress the spring, means for latching the spring under compression, a member controlled by the operator to release the latching means and permit the spring to expand, and means for transmitting to the carrier the movement of expansion of the spring.

11. In aheel-attaching machine, a shoe-support, a carrier movable between two positions, two operating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier and respectively cooperating with the shoe-support in the two positions of said carrier, actuating means movable under the power of the machine, a cylinder in which is a contracted opening, a valve by which the flow through the opening may be varied, a spring within the cylinder, a plunger in the cylinder movable by the actuating memberto compress the spring, means for latching, the spring under compression, a member controlled by the operator to release the latching means and permit the spring to expand, and means for transmitting to the carrier the movement of expansion of the spring.

12. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-support, a carrier movable between two positions, two operating mechanisms mounted upon the acarrier and respectively cooperating with the 9 shoe-support in the two positions of said carrier, actuating means movable under the power of the machine, an arm turned by the actuating means,

a spring compressed by the movement of the arm, a latch for holding the arm with the spring under compression, a member controlled by the operator to .free the arm from the latch and allow the spring to expand to turn the arm oppositely to itsniovement by the actuating means, means for transmitting to the carrier the movement of the "arm by the spring and including a rotatable member, a brake, and means acting only as the {carrier approaches the end of its travel for applying the brake to said member.

13. In a heel-attaching machine, a shoe-support, a carriermovable between two positions, two operating mechanisms mounted upon the carrier and; respectively cooperating with the shoe-supportin the two positions of said carrier, actuating means movable under the power of the machine, an arm turned by the actuating means, a spring compressed by the movement of the tatable member for rotation therewith, and a stationary abutment which the friction member engages during a portion of its rotation.

WILLIAM ARTHUR BARKER. THOMAS BAGGOTT CLARKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 322,562 Raymond July 21, 1885 2,391,543 Carr Dec. 25, 1945 

